


a world of steel-eyed death

by SaraJaye



Category: Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken
Genre: F/M, First Mission Anxiety, Interlude, Introspection, Rain, Seeking Shelter, Sharing Body Heat, Storms, Well Done Daughter Girl
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-12
Updated: 2014-03-12
Packaged: 2018-01-15 10:51:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1302193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaraJaye/pseuds/SaraJaye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The night before her first real mission, it rains.</p>
            </blockquote>





	a world of steel-eyed death

The night before her first real mission, it rains. A few drops at first, but then thunder rumbles and Nino swears she can see lightning behind the dark clouds. Soon they're trying to outrun the oncoming downpour and he drags her into the nearest thing he can find, an old shed with cracked windows and a door she's surprised even closes properly.

She won't complain, though, shelter is shelter and she's got to be tough. Tomorrow night she'll finally be a full-fledged Black Fang member...finally someone her mother can be proud of. And no true Black Fang complains about a dirty shed or a little rain.

Jaffar barely speaks two words to her the whole time, and Nino can't help feeling a bit disappointed. She knows he's not much for conversation or friends; the Black Fang's Angel of Death lives to carry out orders and nothing else. But she's nervous, she's cold and she wouldn't mind at least a little acknowledgment.

She briefly wonders if she would have been better off going with Lloyd or Linus. But they tend to coddle her, which Jaffar doesn't know the meaning of. And if she's going to make her mother proud and be a real Black Fang, coddling is the last thing she needs right now.

She wraps her cape and her arms around herself as she leans against him. He feels cold in that flimsy assassin garb, but he doesn't even shiver. It's like he's cold enough on the inside to ward off cold on the outside, even though she knows that's impossible. The human body is warm by nature, after all.

For a while, she listens to the rain pouring outside, the thunder crashing, and every now and then she shivers. _It's okay, it's only a storm, it can't hurt us,_ she reminds herself. _Be strong, Nino. Mother is counting on you._ She's been promised affection and care if she does this right, she can't afford to fail. _And I won't._ The storm will stop, they'll make it to the manse, they'll...

_Kill the prince._

It doesn't feel right to her, still. He's only a boy, and why would any father want his own son to die? But an order is an order, especially from the King, and it's not her place to question it. _This is for Mother,_ she repeats in her head.

The storm rages, and she leans further into Jaffar. He's still as a stone, which she'd swear he was made of if she didn't feel him breathing, and he hasn't moved an inch. His clothes are still wet and she can't help worrying he'll catch cold. Even the Angel of Death isn't immune.

"Jaffar?" she whispers.

"What is it?" She nearly jumps out of her skin, she hadn't expected a response.

"Um...a-aren't you cold?" she asks. "We don't have any blankets..."

"I'm fine." He looks down at her for half a moment. "You're shivering."

"Oh, I-I'm fine! Can't let a little cold get to me, after all." She smiles. "I'll be okay." He turns to look at her fully now and before she can say anything else his arm and his cape are around her shoulders and she gives a surprised squeak.

"If you catch cold, you'll be useless," he says, and looks away from her again even as he pulls her a little closer. His body's warmer now and his closeness is strangely comforting, she leans into him more and he doesn't object.

She falls asleep to the sound of thunder, against the warmth of his body. If she dreams, she doesn't remember it the next morning.


End file.
